Making paste from baking soda to clean teeth, bathing, etc?

[Valley Oak]

We have been mixing baking soda with stevia to use as a tooth cleanser but the powdery mix has its downsides.

How can you make a paste from baking soda? Baking soda is a natural general cleanser for the household and many other things as well.

[bill shearer]

We've made a paste from baking soda for years ---sprinkle the soda in a hand, moisten the toothbrush, pickup soda with toothbrush, brush teeth

[Valley Oak]

We already do that. The exception is that we use an 8oz. Mason jar and fill it up with a blend of stevia (sweetener) and baking soda. We use an 1/8 teaspoon of stevia.

Do you normally brush your teeth everyday with baking soda as we do? So you keep a box of baking soda in the bathroom or wherever you brush your teeth? Does it ever get wet or spoil (collecting smells)?

Thanks again

We've made a paste from baking soda for years ---sprinkle the soda in a hand, moisten the toothbrush, pickup soda with toothbrush, brush teeth

[loi]

I also add coconut oil and peppermint oil to my blend along with the stevia and baking soda. It makes the blend much more palatable.

We already do that. The exception is that we use an 8oz. Mason jar and fill it up with a blend of stevia (sweetener) and baking soda. We use an 1/8 teaspoon of stevia.

Do you normally brush your teeth everyday with baking soda as we do? So you keep a box of baking soda in the bathroom or wherever you brush your teeth? Does it ever get wet or spoil (collecting smells)?

[Valley Oak]

Thank you! This is precisely the kind of information I was looking for.

We have been using baking soda to brush our teeth for years but using it in a powder form is inconvenient for various reasons. Blending the baking soda not only for flavor (which is important) but also having the versatility of the baking soda in non-powder form is very useful.

Is the peppermint you use an extract or essential oil?

Thank you

I also add coconut oil and peppermint oil to my blend along with the stevia and baking soda. It makes the blend much more palatable.

[Helen Shane]

Hell, just pour about a tspn. full of soda in the palm of your hand, sprinkle a little water on it, use your toothbrush to mix it up and viola, that's it. No hocus, no pokus. Just do it!. Smile Helen

I also add coconut oil and peppermint oil to my blend along with the stevia and baking soda. It makes the blend much more palatable.

[Duncan]

For teethbrushing, I put a little baking soda in my palm and add a teaspoon or so of hydrogen peroxide, mix together and brush. My teeth feel superclean.

[loi]

You're so welcome. I use an essential oil of peppermint although you could use clove if you prefer that taste :) - just make sure you don't put very much in your blend, though so it doesn't get overwhelming!

Thank you! This is precisely the kind of information I was looking for.

We have been using baking soda to brush our teeth for years but using it in a powder form is inconvenient for various reasons. Blending the baking soda not only for flavor (which is hugely important) but also to use the versatility of the baking soda in another form is very useful.

Is the peppermint you use an extract or essential oil?

Thank you

[chollie]

I have been using straight baking soda for 62 years because I disliked colgate, mint, sweet. just keep in moisture sealed.

I also add coconut oil and peppermint oil to my blend along with the stevia and baking soda. It makes the blend much more palatable.

[Valley Oak]

Also, my wife uses baking soda as a shampoo.

We try to use simple, organic cleansers for daily, household use, such as vinegar, lemon juice, and organic soaps. We have bought, for years, a locally made organic soap from a small business in Santa Rosa called, "Sierra Dawn Products:"
https://sierradawn.com/products.asp

The original green soap from Sierra Dawn can be used as a healthy and safe shower gel, a shampoo, laundry detergent, general household cleaner, hand dishwashing soap, and other uses. The ONLY thing we cannot use Sierra Dawn's green organic soap is for the dishwashing machine. For that we have always used an organic brand readily available almost anywhere, such as Eco-Ver, etc.

A gallon of Dr. Bonner's "magic soap" is approximately $60 but you can only use it for the one specified purpose noted on the container. You have to buy an additional soap product for each, individual purpose, and that is inconvenient.

[Tinque]

(NaturalNews) Many components of the modern western diet – meats, fish, dairy products, most grains, sugars, alcohol and caffeinated drinks (in fact, almost everything except vegetables, millet, most fruits and, as we have just seen, apple cider vinegar) – contribute to one's body becoming too acidic. This in turn can open the door to a variety of problems, some of them (including arthritic complaints) potentially serious if this acidic condition persists for many years.
This is because your body will attempt to compensate by retaining alkaline salts in the bloodstream to offset the increase of tissue acidity. Since your body can only tolerate a small imbalance in blood pH (the acid-alkali balance), it will rob alkaline components from other places – including your body's precious alkaline reserves – in an effort to restore proper pH equilibrium. This can result in heartburn, digestive distress, stomach upset, fatigue and a multitude of other symptoms. Simple, inexpensive kitchen baking soda can fix this.

Very useful in keeping the body healthily alkalized is half to one teaspoon a day of baking soda in water. Don't take it with or within an hour of meals, though, as the stomach needs to retain its acidity in order to perform its digestive functions effectively. A great deal of tap water (or even store-bought spring water) is surprisingly acidic; filtration will remove toxins but will not affect the pH balance of the water. (Baking soda can be used to reduce the corrosion of acidic drinking water in municipal water supplies, therefore reducing the toxicity of the lead and copper, which are dissolved from the pipes.) You can purchase a pH testing kit for home use very cheaply, and if the water you usually drink is acidic (i.e. with a pH of less than 7.0) you could remedy this cheaply and easily by adding a pinch of baking soda to all the water you consume.

Baking soda is also effective for polishing teeth (without scratching the tooth surface) and fighting bad breath (sprinkle a little on the toothbrush bristles). It can even be tried for exfoliating skin when acne is a problem (add a little to a facial cleanser in place of using a commercial facial scrub).

When baking soda is added to bath water, sunburn sufferers often experience a notable reduction in pain. Place a cup (8 ounces) of baking soda under the running bath tap so it dissolves completely, and soak in a lukewarm tub for about half an hour. Such a bath will soothe the pain – and you won't have to endure the stinging sensation of a shower. Adding baking soda to a hot bath at any time also helps wash acid wastes out of the body.

In addition, baking soda can be used in cool (but not cold) bath water to soothe other skin irritations and alleviate itching from prickly heat, bee stings, insect bites, and other minor skin ailments. A paste (made with just enough water to get the desired sticky consistency) placed on an insect bite or sting and allowed to dry is a time-tested approach for drawing out and neutralizing poisons.

People with skin allergies who tend to react to commercial laundry detergents might find that washing their clothing and bedding in baking soda is less irritating.

Simple baking soda may also weaken the desire for a cigarette as well as reduce the desire for sugar and sweets. It's used in kidney dialysis to reduce the level of acids in the bloodstream, and acts to prevent bacterial growth in food products. For general purposes of alkalinizing the body, quarter to half a teaspoon twice a day in water is usually enough.

The medicinal and self-care uses of baking soda were recognized by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) more than 150 years ago. For years, baking soda has been recommended because of its antacid effects, mainly to neutralize stomach acids that can cause heartburn, acid indigestion and related discomforts.

As it mixes with the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, baking soda triggers a chemical reaction, and its end products are salt (NaCl, or sodium chloride), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. The water is harmless, and the carbon dioxide gets released as a gas, producing a familiar burp once the acid is neutralized.

However, commercial antacid products only lessen symptoms of over-acidity by blocking the production of acid and can often produce unwanted side effects. They alter your body's ability to absorb protein and calcium, which can then create the need for a calcium supplements to compensate.

If it were not for the presence of sodium – which makes the tissue in the stomach highly alkaline – the lining would be destroyed by the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The stomach, intestines, joints and ligaments are in constant need of natural food-source sodium. Naturally occurring sodium is not to be confused with the sodium from common commercial table salt, which is processed with extreme heat using many chemical and bleaching agents.

Potassium neutralizes acid wastes, and in combination with sodium, maintains a healthy acid/alkaline balance. Potassium and sodium are nearly always found together in the body and perform many of the same functions. Second only to breathing and maintaining a heartbeat the most important metabolic function our body performs is to maintain a balanced pH. Baking soda, in small amounts, performs this function.

[Dixon]

We have bought, for years, a locally made organic soap from a small business in Santa Rosa called, "Sierra Dawn Products:"
https://sierradawn.com/products.asp
The original green soap from Sierra Dawn can be used as a healthy and safe shower gel, a shampoo, laundry detergent, general household cleaner, hand dishwashing soap, and other uses...

Does Sierra Dawn make an unscented version of their multi-purpose cleaner? Some of my extremely environmentally sensitive friends can't tolerate any scent, including organic essences of flowers, etc. If they do make an unscented version, where can I buy it?

[Valley Oak]

(I have edited this post.)

Yes. As a matter of fact, in all the years that we have used Sierra Dawn's soap it was never scented. They have a naturally scented product but we have never used it. My wife has been diagnosed with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), which is why we finally ended up buying Sierra Dawn's soap in the first place. One of the things we like most about this great soap is that we only need two soaps in the entire house: an organic dishwashing machine soap and Sierra Dawn for everything else, including body care needs (such as a shower gel and as a shampoo).

If you want their soap then you either have to go directly to Sierra Dawn's warehouse in north-eastern Santa Rosa or to a merchant in Santa Rosa (or in Sonoma County) that carries their line. But often time it is only a small plastic bottle meant for camping. We have always purchased at least one gallon at a time if not 4 gallons to get the bulk discount. It is easy to contact Sierra Dawn; their information is on their website.

I just looked at their product line and it seems like it has become more sophisticated over the years. Let them know what you want it for. If you want it as a shower gel/shampoo (it does both!) and/or as a general cleaning product as well. We always bought the one that does EVERYTHING except go into a dishwashing machine. It is 100% biodegradable, environmentally friendly, natural (non-industrial chemicals), sustainable, etc. It is perfectly safe and healthy for your skin and body. It also works great as laundry soap and as a general cleaner (floors, windows, toilet, hand-dishwashing, car washing, so on).

Hope this helps.

Does Sierra Dawn make an unscented version of their multi-purpose cleaner? Some of my extremely environmentally sensitive friends can't tolerate any scent, including organic essences of flowers, etc. If they do make an unscented version, where can I buy it?

[Dixon]

As a matter of fact, in all the years that we have used Sierra Dawn's soap it was never scented. They have a naturally scented product but we have never used it...we only need two soaps in the entire house: an organic dishwashing machine soap and Sierra Dawn for everything else, including body care needs (such as a shower gel and as a shampoo).

There are two products listed on the Sierra Dawn website that I'm interested in: the Original Campsuds and the Campsuds Bath Soap & Shampoo Formula. The former is described as "...with natural essential oil fragrance", and the latter as "Available in Peppermint or Lavender essential oil fragrances." I see no mention of those products in unscented form. So now I'm confused.

[Valley Oak]

Yes, I just looked at the website and I'm confused too. I'll contact him and ask him what's going on.

Edward

There are two products listed on the Sierra Dawn website that I'm interested in: the Original Campsuds and the Campsuds Bath Soap & Shampoo Formula. The former is described as "...with natural essential oil fragrance", and the later as "Available in Peppermint or Lavender essential oil fragrances." I see no mention of those products in unscented form. So now I'm confused.

[Valley Oak]

I just got an email response today from Chris Maurer, the owner, below. I don't know how to attach files so his additional file is not here on this post. If you have anymore questions, I suggest you contact the owner directly. Full contact information is below:

Hi Edward,

Our Campsuds product has always had a (relatively light) fragrance of lemon
and lime essential oils. When the product is stored over a period of years the
fragrance does gradually dissipate, and that may be why you have an impression
of fragrance free. The website is in support of our primary market which is
camping/backpacking, and the information there is directed to camping
customers. Certainly Campsuds is an excellent all-purpose cleaner, and the
formula was marketed for many years in a separate line of products sold in
natural food stores as an all-purpose household cleaner.

Please see attached our wholesale price list for more information about
purchasing.

Thanks,

Chris Maurer
Sierra Dawn Products
www.sierradawn.com
707 535-0172
<[email protected]>

There are two products listed...

[Valley Oak]

I would like to add to this that Chris, the owner, has told me face to face on more than one occasion that his soap is great for use as a shower gel and a shampoo, as well as laundry soap. We, at our household, know this to be true because we have used this soap for all of these purposes for years.

I just got an email response today from Chris Maurer, the owner, below. I don't know how to attach files so his additional file is not here on this post. If you have anymore questions, I suggest you contact the owner directly. Full contact information is below:

Hi Edward,

Our Campsuds product has always had a (relatively light) fragrance of lemon
and lime essential oils. When the product is stored over a period of years the
fragrance does gradually dissipate, and that may be why you have an impression
of fragrance free. The website is in support of our primary market which is
camping/backpacking, and the information there is directed to camping
customers. Certainly Campsuds is an excellent all-purpose cleaner, and the
formula was marketed for many years in a separate line of products sold in
natural food stores as an all-purpose household cleaner.

Please see attached our wholesale price list for more information about
purchasing.

Thanks,

Chris Maurer
Sierra Dawn Products
www.sierradawn.com
707 535-0172
<[email protected]>

[Valley Oak]

For the last couple of weeks now I have taken the advice of the good folks who have given their feedback on this thread. I have mixed roughly 12 ounces (maybe 2 cups) of baking soda with 3/8 teaspoon of Stevia (a natural, vegetable based sweetener), 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted mildly in a saucepan), and peppermint oil to taste (I don't know exactly how much of the peppermint oil I used).

12 to 16 ounces baking soda
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3/8 teaspoon stevia
Peppermint oil to taste

So far it is working well and I'm not having to deal with the problems of loose, dry baking soda, which is one of the original reasons I posted this thread topic. The other important reason to me for modifying the baking soda is the salty taste, which is unpleasant to me.

Thank you everyone for your input and please go ahead and make other suggestions on this subject. I'm never done experimenting!

[SleepyPanda]

Hi! A toothpaste recipe I use and a couple of other money-saving and environmentally friendly recipes:

Toothpaste
2 Tablespoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 Teaspoon neem leaf powder
1 Teaspoon stevia leaf powder
15 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil

I like the combination of tea tree and lavender for their antibacterial and skin healing properties. I have read of people baking organic egg shells and pounding into a powder and adding it to homemade toothpastes for calcium.

Activated charcoal can help whiten teeth.

All-purpose Cleaner
2 cups hot water
Half cup white vinegar (or, leaving orange peels soaking in distilled white vinegar for a couple of weeks makes orange vinegar -- great tasting and grease cutting)
2 Teaspoons Borax
1 Teaspoon Washing soda
1 Teaspoon dish soap
Essential oils of your choice, including one that has antibacterial properties

Soapnuts
Soapnuts (Sapindus Saponaria) are a great alternative to soap and laundry detergent!
Laundry:
Put 4-5 soapnuts in a cloth teabag. Put in laundry machine or hand wash.

Shampoo and Body Wash:
Boil 1 cup soapnuts in approx. 10 cups water. Simmer for a couple of hours. Turn burner off. Add flowers and herbs, e.g. lavender, hibiscus, rosehips, rose petals, horsetail, rosemary. Leave overnight. When cool, squish soapnuts with your hands a little to release saponins. Strain. Freeze some. Keep some in the fridge. Pour soapnut tea into blender-type device. It will foam up!
Work through scalp and hair. Rinse. No conditioner necessary.
Use as body wash.

I like CrunchyBetty.com for diy recipes for household cleaners, bath and body products, etc.
I get my supplies from Rosemary's Garden in Sebastopol.

For the last couple of weeks now I have taken the advice of the good folks who have given their feedback on this thread. I have mixed roughly 12 ounces (maybe 2 cups) of baking soda with 3/8 teaspoon of Stevia (a natural, vegetable based sweetener), 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted mildly in a saucepan), and peppermint oil to taste (I don't know exactly how much of the peppermint oil I used).

12 to 16 ounces baking soda
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3/8 teaspoon stevia
Peppermint oil to taste

So far it is working well and I'm not having to deal with the problems of loose, dry baking soda, which is one of the original reasons I posted this thread topic. The other important reason to me for modifying the baking soda is the salty taste, which is unpleasant to me.

Thank you everyone for your input and please go ahead and make other suggestions on this subject. I'm never done experimenting!